John Kostecki

John Kostecki won a silver medal in Soling alongside William Baylis and Robert Billingham. That year Kostecki also won the J/24 World Championships and the Soling World Championships and was named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. During his sailing career he won 10 World Championships, starting with the 1982 Sunfish class.

Kostecki sailed in almost every type of competitive racing. He raced the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1997-98. In 2001-02 he helmed the German yacht Ilbruck in the Volvo Ocean Race. During that race Kostecki led the Ilbruck to a 24-hour speed record for monohulls, completing 484 nautical miles in 20:02 during the 7th leg of the Volvo race. In 2002 Kostecki won his second Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award.

Kostecki spent a brief period with the BMW Oracle America’s Cup team but then joined Team Ericsson for the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race. He was also named skipper for Team Ericsson for the 2008-09 Volvo race but had to drop out for family reasons. In 2008 Kostecki was hired by Russell Coutts to serve as afterguard for Team BMW Oracle Racing in the America’s Cup. He served as tactician for BMW Oracle during the 2010 America’s Cup, bringing that trophy back to the USA after 15 years. Kostecki reprised that role in 2013, but was replaced by Ben Ainslie with the USA losing 4-0.